Description

Also know as Bluehead Fairy Wrasse, Blue-headed Fairy Wrasse, Blue-scaled Fairy Wrasse, Blue-scaled Wrasse, Blue-sided Fairy Wrasse, Blue-sided Wrasse, Blue-sided Velvet Wrasse, Coralline Wrasse, Red-eyed Wrasse, Small-mouthed Wrasse, Yellow Flank Fairy Wrasse, Yellow-flanked Wrasse.

Found in small to large schools, over coral and rocky bottoms, in channels and along reef edges, of lagoons and outer reef slopes.
They feed in the water column on zooplankton.
Length - 15cm
Depth - 2-25m
Widespread Indo-West Pacific

Most reef fish seen by divers during the day, are grazers, they cruise around, just above the surface of the coral, or snoop into crevices, foraging for food.
Wrasses have small protruding teeth, which they use to graze the bottom, taking in a variety of algae, crustaceans, such as crabs, eggs, shrimps, snails and worms. Any hard coats or thick shells, are then ground down by their pharyngeal jaws, and the delicacies inside digested.
From juvenile to adult, wrasses dramatically alter their colour and body shapes.
Wrasses are always on the go during the day, but are the first to go to bed and the last to rise.
Small wrasses dive below the sand to sleep, and larger wrasses wedge themselves in crevices. Ref: https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Cirrhilabrus-cyanopleura.html